Groundbreaking research at Swansea University is exploring the vital connection between gut hormones and brain function research that could pave the way for new treatments for cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr Jeff Davies, Associate Professor in Molecular Neurobiology, is leading the effort to better understand how appetite-regulating hormones affect memory, learning, and immune responses in the brain. With support from the Medical Research Council’s Impact Acceleration Account, his team is now developing small molecule therapies aimed at improving cognition and slowing the progression of Parkinson’s Dementia.

This research is relevant to Parkinson’s as a large proportion of those with the disease experience dementia, which is linked to a loss of new nerve cells in the brain. This loss leads to a reduction in nerve cell connectivity, which plays a vital role in regulating memory function. Cognitive decline in these patients can be especially challenging to treat, and current therapies offer only limited relief. Dr Davies’ research addresses an often-overlooked contributor to this decline: the gut-brain axis.

One hormone in particular, ghrelin, has caught the team’s attention. Often known as the “hunger hormone,” ghrelin is produced in the stomach and plays a well-established role in stimulating appetite. But recent studies have shown it does much more, such as regulating the birth of new brain cells (neurogenesis), modulating inflammation, and supporting learning and memory processes.

Dr Davies and his team are investigating how ghrelin’s function is disrupted in people with Parkinson’s Dementia. They’ve found that ghrelin levels are often impaired in these patients, which may contribute not only to appetite and weight changes but also to worsening cognitive function and neuroinflammation.

This research represents a promising step forward in tackling the complex biology of neurodegenerative disease. By focusing on the gut-brain axis, Dr Davies and his team are opening a new therapeutic window that could complement existing treatments and offer hope to those living with cognitive decline.